Best time to visit Kauaʻi
United States · North America
All twelve months scored on daily temperature, rainfall, humidity and holiday crowding.
The year in Kauaʻi
Tap a month for its page
- JanJKauaʻi in January: sweet spot
- FebFKauaʻi in February: sweet spot
- MarMKauaʻi in March: sweet spot
- AprAKauaʻi in April: sweet spot
- MayMKauaʻi in May: sweet spot
- JunJKauaʻi in June: ok
- JulJKauaʻi in July: ok, busy
- AugAKauaʻi in August: ok, busy
- SepSKauaʻi in September: ok
- OctOKauaʻi in October: sweet spot
- NovNKauaʻi in November: ok, busy
- DecDKauaʻi in December: ok
- Sweet spot
- Good
- OK
- Avoid
- Busy
No dry season: more than 6 rainy days in every month.
Plan this trip
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Flights from
Flights
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Where are you flying from? Choose your city for its flights and fares.
Book with the airline
Where to stay
Book direct
Luxury
Things to do
Car hire
Rent direct
Travel insurance
Check whether your bank card or home insurance already covers this trip.
If the trip needs a visa, the travel agent or visa centre usually sells the cover it asks for.
Mobile data (eSIM)
Your own plan's EU roaming may already cover this.
Renting a pocket Wi-Fi is the other common way to stay connected.
These are sites people in book with. Each opens in a new tab, on the site's own pages.
Things to do in Kauaʻi
- Waimea Canyon State Park Protected area of Kauai County, Hawaii, United States
- Fort Elizabeth A fortification built in the 19th century and remains the last Russian fort to remain in Hawaii.
- Wailua Falls Waterfall along the river
- Opaekaa Falls 1.3 miles from the start of Route 580.
- National Tropical Botanical Gardens The National Tropical Botanical Gardens on Kauai consist of three separate gardens: McBride, Allerton, and Limahuli.
- Poipu Beach The Poipu Beach is a good place to go to relax and soak up the sun.
- Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge Lighthouse on the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaii, United States
Tours and tickets in Kauaʻi
Each site opens on its own search: choose your dates there. A few open on their home page, where you type the place too. Links marked Ad pay us a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you; most pay nothing, and what a site pays never decides whether it is listed or where. How we rank
Sights and their lines from Wikivoyage (Kauai), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, and Wikidata; in order of how often each one's Wikipedia article was read on phones in the last 12 months.
Month by month
No fare history for this route yet, so this ranking is climate and crowds only — the price column will fill in as the scanner collects.
| Month | Max °C | Rain days | Humidity | Sun h/day | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24° | 9d | 79% | 9.4h | sweet spot | 24C max, 9 rainy days |
| Feb | 24° | 11d | 77% | 9.7h | sweet spot | 24C max, 11 rainy days |
| Mar | 24° | 15d | 80% | 10.0h | sweet spot | 24C max, 15 rainy days |
| Apr | 24° | 17d | 81% | 10.7h | sweet spot | 24C max, 17 rainy days |
| May | 25° | 19d | 80% | 12.0h | sweet spot | 25C max, 19 rainy days |
| Jun | 26° | 18d | 81% | 12.4h | ok | 26C max, 18 rainy days |
| Jul | 27° | 21d | 81% | 12.3h | okbusy | busier than usual |
| Aug | 27° | 17d | 80% | 11.9h | okbusy | busier than usual |
| Sep | 27° | 15d | 81% | 11.1h | ok | 27C max, 15 rainy days |
| Oct | 27° | 13d | 82% | 10.3h | sweet spot | 27C max, 13 rainy days |
| Nov | 26° | 14d | 80% | 10.0h | okbusy | busier than usual |
| Dec | 25° | 11d | 80% | 9.3h | ok | 25C max, 11 rainy days |
Rain days are the days with at least 1 mm of rain, as a weather station counts them.
Weather read at Kapaʻa, on the east coast, 13 km from the airport (LIH): ten years of ERA5 and ERA5-Land reanalysis, through Open-Meteo's open data.
A busy month is a crowded one, not a bad one — usually it is crowded because the weather is good. It is flagged rather than scored down, and crowds alone never make a month “avoid”: that is reserved for weather worth skipping.
How busy it gets
Then and now
Kauaʻi's January days now average 24.2°C, 1.0°C warmer than in 1981–1990. 10 of 12 months are clearly warmer.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981–90 | 23.1° | 23.1° | 23.4° | 23.5° | 24.3° | 25.4° | 25.8° | 26.4° | 26.5° | 25.9° | 24.8° | 23.6° |
| 2017–26 | 24.2° | 23.6° | 24.0° | 24.4° | 25.1° | 26.1° | 26.5° | 27.1° | 27.1° | 26.6° | 25.6° | 24.6° |
| Change | +1.0° | +0.5° | +0.7° | +0.9° | +0.8° | +0.7° | +0.7° | +0.6° | +0.6° | +0.7° | +0.7° | +1.0° |
The average daily high, month by month, for the nearest ERA5 grid cell. Bold is a clear change; grey is within the ordinary spread between years. Every destination, ranked.
Getting there
How far Kauaʻi is, and what it costs, depends on where you set off from — the months above do not.
- from San Francisco
- from Los Angeles
- from Portland
- from San Diego
- from Seattle
- from Vancouver
- from Las Vegas
- from Phoenix
Open in Rome2rio for every way from to Kauaʻi, flying or not.
Before you go
Type A and B plugs at 120 V. Drives on the right. The currency is the United states dollar. No UK Foreign Office advice against travel. Global Affairs Canada: Exercise normal security precautions. Everything for United States: cost of living, languages, emergency numbers and health.
Being there
On arrival
- Paying — Cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay work almost everywhere, though a few small places take cash only. Keep some $1 and $5 notes for tips; Venmo and PayPal are for locals.
- UPI, for visitors from India — Not accepted for paying here; bring a card that works abroad.
- Tipping — Expected: 15–20% in sit-down restaurants (18–20% is standard in New York) and 10–20% for taxi, Uber and Lyft drivers. Large groups may find it already on the bill.
Getting around Kauaʻi
- Apps — Rides: Lyft, Uber. Maps: Google Maps, Apple Maps. Messages: Text messages (SMS), WhatsApp. In San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami and some other cities you can also book a driverless Waymo in its own app.
Despite the island's relatively small size and the fact that most traffic and sites to visit are concentrated along one main highway, motorized private vehicles are the most common form of transportation on Kauai. More on Wikivoyage
From the Wikivoyage article on Kauai, written by travellers and licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Help
- Emergency — 911 (any emergency).
TravelCharika is not an emergency service: we cannot call for help or send anyone. Numbers can change; if one fails, ask someone local or your hotel.
Your embassy — : how to reach your embassy or consulate abroad. A guess from your city, : a city is not a passport.
Put together by hand from the sources listed, checked 7 October 2026. Apps, cards and rules change, so check before you rely on one.
Sources (50)
- gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa/getting-help
- omny.info
- omny.info/fares
- clippercard.com/contactless-payments
- clippercard.com/pay-with-phone
- mtc.ca.gov/news/starting-wednesday-bart-riders-can-tap-bank-cards
- sfcta.org/blogs/next-generation-clipper-tap-pay-here
- metro.net/fares/how-to-pay
- transitchicago.com/howto/pay-for-your-fare
- info.myorca.com/contactless
- miamidade.gov/global/service.page?Mduid_service=ser1565197498854306
- mbta.com/fares/charlie/tap-ride
- holocard.net/for-visitors
- holocard.net/help
- sdmts.com/fares/pronto-ways-pay
- ridepronto.com
- norta.com/ride-with-us/how-to-pay
- norta.com/ride-with-us/how-to-pay/fares
- norta.com/ride-with-us/how-to-pay/lepass
- capmetro.org/fares
- wmata.com/fares
- wmata.com/pay/tap-ride-go.html
- muni.org/Departments/transit/PeopleMover/Pages/FaresandPasses.aspx
- uber.com/global/en/cities/new-york
- lyft.com/rider/cities/new-york-ny
- waymo.com/faq
- visittheusa.com/travel-trade/faq
- nyctourism.com/tipping-sales-tax
- en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/United_States
- infobip.com/blog/most-popular-messaging-apps-by-country
- developers.google.com/maps/coverage
- apple.com/ios/feature-availability
- visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/septa
- lvmonorail.com/ticket-information
- lvmonorail.com/frequently-asked-questions
- apps.apple.com/us/app/ridertc/id909691507
- lasvegasnevada.gov/News/Blog/Detail/your-guide-to-exploring-las-vegas-bus-it-bike-it-or-share-it
- visitlasvegas.com/plan/getting-here-and-around/maps
- visitlasvegas.com/experience/post/getting-around-vegas
- visitlasvegas.com/experience/post/vegas-on-budget
- wegotransit.com/buy/fare-information
- wegotransit.com/wego-now-accepts-credit-card-mobile-wallet-contactless-payment
- wegotransit.com/ride/transit-services/airport
- trimet.org/fares
- trimet.org/schedules/maxredline.htm
- rtd-denver.com/fares-passes/fares
- rtd-denver.com/fares-passes/tap-n-ride
- app.rtd-denver.com/en-US/route/A/schedule
- pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2286608
- rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/AnnualReport/PDFs/09PAYMENT290526C6588B796E664822A2BD0DEB6452CAD4.PDF
Kauaʻi in pictures
i
Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What Kauaʻi is like
Kauai is the most northwestern of Hawaii's major islands and is the 4th largest by size and population. Nicknamed the Garden Island, it is covered with lush greenery and tropical plants, watered regularly by abundant rainfall. More on Wikivoyage
- Worth seeing
- Lydgate State Park. On route 56, north of the airport. There's a park with a play area for kids with the usual swings, slides etc. More on Wikivoyage
- Worth doing
- People come to Kauai primarily for one thing: the beaches with their great snorkeling, surfing, swimming, and sunning. More on Wikivoyage
- Getting in
- Lihue Airport (LIH IATA). The main aviation gateway for the island of Kauai. A small terminal served with inter-island flights by Hawaiian and Southwest. More on Wikivoyage
- Staying safe
- Leptospirosis - a serious bacterial infection. The bacteria is spread by the waste of animals and is found in all fresh water outlets as well as the muddy trails. More on Wikivoyage
From the Wikivoyage article on Kauai, written by travellers and licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the full article has far more. The numbers above are measured; this is experience.
Around Kauaʻi
Also in United States
- Anaheim best Apr, May, Oct
- Anchorage best Apr, May, Jun
- Asheville best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Aspen best Mar, Apr, Jun
- Atlanta best Apr, May, Sep
- Atlantic City best Apr, May, Oct
- Austin best Feb, May, Oct
- Bend best May, Aug, Sep
- Big Island best Jan, Mar, Oct
- Big Sur best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Boston best Aug, Sep, Oct
- Boulder best May, Jun, Aug
- Burlington best May, Jun, Sep
- Cape Cod best Jul, Aug, Oct
- Carmel-by-the-Sea best May, Sep, Oct
- Charleston best Mar, Apr, Oct
- Charlotte best Apr, May, Oct
- Charlottesville best Mar, Apr, May
- Chicago best May, Jun, Sep
- Dallas best Apr, May, Oct
- Death Valley best Apr, Oct, Nov
- Denver best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Detroit best May, Jun, Sep
- Fairbanks best May, Jun, Jul
- Flagstaff best May, Jun, Aug
- Fort Lauderdale best Mar, Apr, May
- Galveston best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Houston best Apr, May, Oct
- Jackson Hole best Mar, Aug, Sep
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- Juneau best Jun
- Key West best Mar, Apr, May
- Lake Tahoe best Mar, May, Oct
- Las Vegas best Jan, Feb, Apr
- Los Angeles best Jan, Apr, Oct
- Martha's Vineyard best May, Aug, Oct
- Maui best May, Sep, Oct
- Miami best Jan, Feb, Mar
- Minneapolis best May, Jul, Sep
- Nantucket best Jul, Aug, Oct
- Nashville best May, Sep, Oct
- New Orleans best Mar, Apr, May
- New York best May, Jul, Oct
- Newport best May, Aug, Sep
- Oahu best May, Sep, Oct
- Orlando best Mar, Apr, Oct
- Palm Springs best Apr, Oct, Nov
- Park City best Feb, Mar, Jun
- Philadelphia best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Phoenix best Feb, Apr, Oct
- Portland best May, Aug, Sep
- Portland best May, Jul, Aug
- Salt Lake City best May, Sep, Oct
- San Antonio best Mar, Apr, Oct
- San Diego best Apr, May, Sep
- San Francisco best May, Oct, Nov
- Santa Barbara best Apr, May, Sep
- Santa Cruz best Apr, May, Oct
- Santa Fe best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Sarasota best Apr, May, Oct
- Savannah best Feb, Apr, Oct
- Scottsdale best Jan, Mar, Oct
- Seattle best Apr, May, Jul
- Sedona best Apr, May, Aug
- St. Augustine best Apr, May, Oct
- Tampa best Mar, Apr, Oct
- The Grand Canyon best May, Sep, Oct
- The Hamptons best Jun, Sep, Oct
- Virginia Beach best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Washington DC best Apr, May, Oct
- Yellowstone best Jul, Aug, Sep
- Yosemite best Aug, Sep, Oct
- Zion best Apr, May, Sep
Nearby
- Victoria Canada · 4,318 km
- Bora Bora French Polynesia · 4,370 km
- Vancouver Canada · 4,373 km
- Whistler Canada · 4,440 km
Kind of place
Kauaʻi is in United States, North America. Distances are great-circle, so a short one can still be a long way round.
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